Re: paleonet Species names for sale

[Frank Holterhoff <frank@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I know a source that has some uncommitted promotional money right
now...I wonder if we'll soon be seeing Copris enronensis in the
literature.    -F

"Robert L. Fleisher" wrote:
> 
> A friend on another list recently came across the following link, and
> after some discussion I promised to bring it to the attention of other
> professional paleontologists for your opinions.
> 
> http://www.nature.ca/research/ndfund/ndfund_e.cfm
> 
> The gist of the situation is this:  the Canadian Museum of Nature has
> set up something called the Nature Discovery Fund, a "not-for-profit
> fund designed to encourage public support for systematics."  The goal
> seems to be to provide scientific names for all of the so-far-unnamed
> Canadian insect species, although the one example of progress cited on
> the website is from Costa Rica.  To that end, they are apparently
> raising money and providing small research grants.
> 
> The problem is that they are attracting financial backing in a most
> unusual manner.  For a contribution of $500 or more (presumably
> Canadian), they will arrange to have an insect species named after the
> donor, or after whoever or whatever the donor wishes to honor, within 48
> months of the donation.  I realize that monetary support for taxonomy is
> hard to come by, and that I may be more traditionalist than many, but
> this arrangement strikes me as grossly unethical, and I wonder how many
> systematicists would go along with it.  I would be very grateful for any
> comments;  I promised to report back to my other list on your informed
> response.
> 
> Bob Fleisher
> Houston, TX

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Frank K. Holterhoff         MATRICuS Inc.
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